Of same place



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. R. WHITNEY.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHING APPARATUS.

Patented Feb. '7, 1888.

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2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.) I

E; R, WHITNEY. AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHING APPARATUS N0! 377,591.

Patented m 7, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWIN RUTHVEN WHITNEY, OF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD ELECTRIC COMPANY OF VERMONT, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-WEIGHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,591 dated February 7, 1888.

Application filed September 10, 1887. Serial No. 249,298. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN RUTHVEN WHIT- NEY, of St. J ohnsbury, in the county of Galedonia and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Grain-Weighing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to automatic grainweighing machines of the oscillating-hopper type, its object being to prevent the hopper from becoming choked or its working inv terfered with by an accumulation of grain at certain points, and also to obtain a more accurate measurement of the grain.

It consists, first, in the novel construction of the oscillating weighing-hopper and the means for discharging the measured grain therefrom; secondly, in the combination,with such hopper, of screw-feed mechanism worked conjointly with it by electrical means; and, thirdly, in the construction of a novel register to be operated by electricity.

The oscillating hopper is in the form of a hollow ring hung eccentrically on a transverse shaft, with its bearings preferably between friction-wheels carried by standards mounted on the box inclosing the oscillating hopper, the ring being halved or divided into two compartments, with hoppermouths, by a central tongue projecting from the inner up through an opening in the outer walls of the ring, and

by an oscillating door alternately allowing each compartment to discharge through a bottom opening in the outer wall of the ring. This oscillating door is formed of a segmental block with oblique sides and a periphery corresponding to that of the ring, it being carried by side arms pivoted centrally-in the ring and actuated by a pendulum hung from the point of suspension of the ring, and connected to the side arms at a point intermediate be tween the point of its suspension and those of the side arms. A vertical scale-beam is secured centrally to the oscillating hopper, and the usual adjustable poise arranged to slide on it and be set at any desired point of balance by a set-screw.

The screw-feed mechanism operating in connection with the above-described hopper is such that the action of the hopper governs the feed and allows only the desired quantity of grain to be fed into it. It consists of a horizontal cylinder carried above the oscillating hopper, in which works a screw to intermittently discharge the grain (received at one end of the cylinder from a spout at the other end) into such oscillating hopper.

The intermittent operation of the screw is obtained by the following means: At either side of the boxing inclosing the oscillating hopper are arranged twometal contacts,\vhicl1 are the terminals, respectively, of two electric circuits through a battery-power and a solenoid. Metal strips or keys are set on the oscillating hopper so that as it works from side to side they will alternately close the break in each circuit, the effect of which will be to keep the solenoid charged as long as one circuit or the other is closed. The shaft of the 7c screw projects sufficiently from the cylinder at one end to have a section of 'shafting balljointed to it, this section being carried in a pendent hanger having a frictional pulley mounted rigidly upon it and running contigu- 7 one to a driving-shaft with friction-pulley attached. The swinging end of the pendent hanger is connected with the end of the core of the solenoid before mentioned,and is thereby acted upon to bring the friction-pulleys in 8c contact, and so rotate the screw until the desired quantity of grain is fed into that compartment of the oscillating hopper on which the circuit is closed.

The automatic registering device consists of three disks-the first a ratchet, so that it can be worked by a pawl, and the others toothed, in order that a pin on the face of the ratchet will work the second wheel, and it in turn work the third one by the same 1neaus,the 0 complete revolutions of the respective disks registering, respectively, units, tens, and hundreds. The pawl operating the initial disk is attached to a lever arranged to be acted upon by an electric solenoid every time a discharge 9 5 from the hopper takes place, this solenoid being charged by a battery every time a break in its circuit is closed bya brush on the oscillating hopper.

For full comprehension of the invention 10o reference must be had to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a front view of complete apparatus; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical sectional elevation of parts for operating screw-feed; Fig. 3, an enlarged vertical section of oscillating hopper and screw-feed; Fig. 4, a transverse vertical sectional elevation of same; Fig. 5, details of electric contacts used in connection with screw-feed, and Fig. 6 a detail face view of disks of registering device.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. 1

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 clearly illustrate the construction of the oscillating hopper and parts connected therewith, which will now be described.

The oscillatinghopper is shown in the form of a hollow ring, A, hung eccentrieally on transverse pendulunrshaft B.

O O are standards mounted on the sides of the box 0, which box incloses the oscillating hopper A and has a hopper-shaped bottom for hopper A to discharge into, one or more openings being provided in this bottom for the grain to pass through. The pendulum-shaft B has its bearings preferably between the tide tion-wheels 0, carried by the standards 0 O". The pendulum-rod B, formed in one with shaft B, carries on its screwed lower end a weight, 13*, threaded, so as to be adjustable thereon. Parallel with the shaft B, at some little distance below it, is a cross-head, B integral with therod B, to which are pivoted loosely the upper ends of side arms, E", on which the door E is hung. These parts will be presently more particularly described.

The oscillating hopper A is divided into two compartments or weighing-chambers, A A (with hopper-mouths a a at the top,) by central tongue, A, the inclined sides of which project from the inner wall up through an opening in the outer wall of the ring A, and at the bottom the division is effected by the oscillating door E, which alternately allows the compartments A A to discharge through an opening, A, in the outer wall of the ring. This oscillating door E is formed of a segmental block, as shown, with oblique sides facing each compartment and forming the bottom thereof, and a periphery corresponding to that of the ring A and traveling closely thereto, and is carried by thelower ends of the side arms, E B". These arms are pivoted ate 0 in the center of the ring A to cross pieces or stays :c 00, extending across its central open space, and their upper ends are connected loosely with the ends of the cross-head B, which is intermediate between the point of suspension of the pendulum-rod, of which it forms a part, and the pivotpoints e c of the side arms, E An opening, a, has to be made in the inner wall of the ring A. to allow the arms E to work, and to keep this closed I provide another door, E,which is also carried by said arms and effectually prevents any grain escaping. v

G is the scalebeam, (of usual or any desired type,) fixed centrally on the face of the oscillating hopper, so as to project vertically beyond the top in the dividing-line of the two weighing-compartments, and G is the adj ustable weight or poise, arranged to slide on it and be set at any desired point of balance by set-screw g, passing through it.

In connection with the feed mechanism under control of the oscillating hopper H H H H are insulated contact-pieces arranged on either side of the boxing O, and J J insulated metal strips or keys on the oscillating hopper for closing the breaks formed bysuch contacts in the respective circuits through battery-cells X and solenoid K, wires P N leading from contacts H H and I N from those H H to such battery and solenoid, as shown in Fig. 1.

L is the horizontal feed-cylinder, suitably supported above the oscillating hopper, so that its spout L, which projects downwardly from one end of said cylinder, will be immediately over the transverse pendulum-shaft B. L" is a hopper arranged at the opposite end, into which the grain is first fed.

Sis the shaft carrying the screw S, and having its bearings in the ends of the cylinder. One of its ends projects, as shown in Fig. 1, sufiiciently to have a section of shaftiug, M, secured to it by a ball-joint, M. This shaft M is carried by a pendent hanger, M", pivoted at n to any suitable support, and has mounted rigidly upon it a convex frictioirpulley, M The swinging end (or prolongation of it) N of this hanger M is connected in any suitable way with the core of the solenoid K, carried by any suitable support beneath the hanger, as shown in Fig. 2.

O is a driving shaft rotated by suitable power and contiguous to shaft M, on which (shaft 0) is mounted a concave friction-pulley, O, the convex wheel M" being brought into connection therewith by the action of the solenoid K.

I will now describe in detail the automatic registering device.

l? is a ratchet-wheel graduated on its face, as seen in Fig. 6, so as to indicate units; P P toothed wheels or disks of different diameters and graduated to indicate tens and hundreds, respectively, these wheels being mount ed on spindles carried in any suitable frame situated near the weighing machine. The ratehet-whecl has a pin, 1), 011 its face to intermesh with the teeth of P, and P again has a similar pin, 1), to work P in like manner. A. lever, Q, fulcrnmed at q and carrying a counter-balance, Q, at one end, has its other end connected with the core of a solenoid, 1t, and also carries a pawl, Q, to intermesh with and operate ratchet P r r are insulated metal contacts arranged on the standard 0, (onhopper box 0,) as shown in Fig. l, to form a break in the circuit containing a battery, X, and solenoid B, and It is a metal brush or key carried 011 a projection from oscillating hopper A to close the said break every time the hopper oscillates.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The weight of the pendulum must be sufficient to hold the oscillating door E (say to the right to close compartment A as shown in Fig. 3) against the weight of the grain that is to fall on it, and the weight B is made adjustable, so that the gravity of the pendulum can be increased or diminished, as circumstances may require. As will be seen, shaft B is the fulcrum point between poise G and weighingcompartments, and the oscillating hopper is 1n equipoise when it is empty and the weight or poise G at zero on the scale-beam, and the hopper will then play equally between both sides; but when the weight G is moved up the scale-beam to the desired point to regulate the number of pounds of grain to be weighed at a time, it will be overbalancedsay to the left side of the box 0, as shown in Fig. 1and the metal strip or key J is thrown against contacts H H, thus closing that particular circuit and charging the solenoid K. The result of this closing of the circuit is that the friction-wheel N is brought into contact with the constantly-revolving wheel 0 by the core of the solenoid drawing on the end N of the hanger M, and the screw S rotated to feed forward the grain, (previously fed into hopper L,) which drops from spout L into hopper-mouth a of weighing-compartment A until an equipoise is established and the hopper thrown over to the right side of the box 0.

It will be seen that instantaneously with the strip J leaving contacts H H the feed will cease and will not begin again until strip J reaches contacts H H, and that so soon as pivot-point 0 passes the vertical line of pendulum-.rod B the oscillating door E will be swung by the pendulum, maintaining its center of gravity, to the left side or reverse position to close compartment A and empty A. It will also be understood that when brush R (in passing with the oscillating hopper from one side to the other) closes the break between contacts r 1- their circuit is completed and the solenoid R charged, the result of which is that the end of lever Q is drawn down by the core of the solenoid and the pawl Q made to rotate the ratchet a tenth part of the circle. At

the finish of each complete revolution of ratchet,

P the pin 19 engages a tooth of wheel and rotates. it a tenth part, and this wheel I, at the completion of each of its revolutions, by means of pin 1), rotates wheel 1? in a similar manner. In this way the quantity of grain is recorded.

By the discontinuance of the feed while the hopper is moving from one side to the other the usual scattering of grain is avoided and no-surplus is fed into the loaded hopper, and there is no chance of any grain feeding into the empty hopper and finding a lodgment near the bottom opening, so as to prevent the oscillating door from closing, as is very often the partments adapted to be filled alternately through separate mouths and having a common discharge opening, a graduated scalebeam fixed to said hopper and having an adjustable weight thereon, a swinging door adapted to control the discharge of each compartment of the hopper through the common opening, and a pendulous weight in connection with the door and hanging in the central line of gravitation, the whole being combined and arranged so that one compartment will be filled with a regulated quantity of grain while the other is being emptied, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic grain-weighing machine, the combination, with a suitable framing, of an annular swinging hopper divided into two compartments having separate mouths and a common discharge-opening, a shaft journaled in said framing and carrying such hopper, a pendulum or counterpoise hung to said shaft, a door hung to a cross-head on the pendulumrod and adapted to shut off the discharge-opening alternately from each compartment of the hopper, and a vertical scale-beam affixed to the hopper and provided with asliding weight, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an automatic grain-weighing machine, the combination, with a suitable framing carrying electrical contact-pieces, and with an electrical circuit, of an oscillating double-compartment hopper having electrical contactstrips upon its exterior, an intermittent feeding device operated through the electrical circuit by the movement of the hopper,and means whereby the feed and discharge are correspondingly regulated, so as to feed, weigh, and deliver onlyaspecified quantity alternately from each compartment of the hopper, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In an automatic graiirweighing machine, the combination, with an oscillating doublecompartment hopper, of a double electric circuit including a solenoid, a screwed feed-shaft for supplying the hopper, a friction-wheel in connection with said shaft, and a driving-shaft having a corresponding friction-wheel, the whole being so combined and arranged that the oscillation of the hopper will alternately close each branch of the electric circuit, and by'influencing the solenoid throw the frictionwheels into contact and actuate the feed-shaft intermittently, for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the oscillating hopper and easing, both having electrical con tact devices, of the screwed feed-shaft S S", pendent hanger N, short shaft M, ball-jointed to said feed-shaft and carried by the hanger, and having friction-wheel M shaft 0, having friction-wheel O, and an electric circuit including a solenoid adapted to throw said friction-wheels into contact, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

EDWVIN RUTHVEN W'HITNEY.

Witnesses:

O. M. SPENCER, D. DEAN PATTERSON. 

